Clothes-line reel.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

G. P. KIN KE NNON. CLOTHES LINE REEL. APPLICATION I'ILED JAN. 22, 1907.

*' portion of the housing.

- TTTTE GEORGE P. KINKENNON, OFDES MOINES, IOWA.

CLOTHES-LINE REEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed January 22, 1907. Serial No. 353,445.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE P. KINKEN- NON, a citizen of the United States of Ameriea, and resident of Des Moines, Polk county, Iowa, have invented a new and useful Clothes- Line Reel, of which the following is a speciiication.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for containing, and securing one end of, a clothes-line.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means for permitting withdrawal. or paying-out of a clothesline from a containing reel.

A further object of this invention is to pro vide improved means for containing clothespins in juxtaposition to a clothes-line reel.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete device in open position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the complete device in closed po sition, dotted lines showing open position of some of the parts. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section of the lower portion of the device, the parts in closed position. Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section illustrating a pawl and means for mounting and adjusting the same.

In the construction of the device as shown, a housing or box is employed, and said housing consists of the following elements: A back plate adapted to be secured to a post (not shown) and project above said post, side plates 11, 12 fixed at their rear margins to side margins of the back plate 10 and tapering as to width from points intermediate of their ends to their upper ends, a relatively small top-plate 13 fixed to the upper ends of the back and side plates and projecting at its ends and front beyond them, a cross-bar 14 connecting the upper end portions of the side plates beneath the forwardly-projecting portion of the top-plate, a cross-bar 15 con necting the side plates at the commencement of the taper thereof, an upper door 16 hinged at its upper end to the cross-bar 14 and ex- .1 tending normally to the cross-bar 15 and closing the upper portion of the housing, and a lower door 17 hinged at one side to the side plate 12 beneath the cross-bar 15 and normally extending across and closing the lower The door 17 normally is held in closed position by a haspback and side plates and engaged at its for ward margin by the lower portion of the door 17. The upper door 16 normally is held closed by a latch 21 on said door engaging a strike 22 on the cross-bar 15. An aperture is formed in the upper portion of the back plate 10 and a pulley 23 is mounted in said aperture. A reel shaft 24 is mounted for rotation in bearings in the side plates 11, 12 and extends across the housing parallel with and in about the horizontal plane of the cross-bar A crank 25 is mounted on the outwardly projecting end portion of the shaft 24 outside of and adjacent the side plate 1.1. A ratchet wheel 26 is mounted rigidly on the reel shaft 24 within the housing and adjacent the side plate 11, thus locating said ratchet wheel close to the crank 25 and yet protected from the elements.

A bearing 27 is mounted in and through the side plate 11 above and to the rear of the shaft 24 and a collar 28 is mounted in said bearing loosely and projects slightly at each end therefrom. A bolt 29, having a thumb nut 30 and washer 31 on its outer (headed) end portion, is mounted in the collar 28 and washers 32 are mounted on the inner end portion of said bolt against the inner end of the collar. A pawl 33 is mounted on the inner end portion of the bolt 29 against the washer 32 and a nut 34 on said bolt binds the pawl, washers, collar and bolt-head firmly together. The pawl 33 is of such length that it may engage the ratchet wheel 26, and manual force may be applied to the thumb nut 30 to turn the bolt 29 and lift the pawl and turn it rearward out of engagement with the ratchet wheel. This manipulation of the pawl is effected from the outside of the housing without opening either door thereof. A reel or drum 35 is mounted rigidl on the shaft 24 between the ratchet whee 26 and the side plate 12. The reel 35 preferably is of wood and a screw-eye 36 is seated in one end ortion of the periphery thereof. A elothes ine 37 is fixed at one end to the screw-eye 36 and extends longitudinally of the housing and through the pulley 23 to a point of fastening (when in use) outside the housing. The clothes-line 37 may be wound on the reel 35 by manipulation of the crank 25, for the purpose of accumulating the line in the housing when said line is not in use or for the purpose of stretching said line when in use. Access may be had to the interior of the upper portion of the housing for any purpose by openilng the door 16 into the position shown in i bolt 38 is mounted in and connects the lower forward corners of the side plates 11,

12 and a plate 39 is mounted pivotally on said bolt and normally occupies a plane upright just within the door 17. Wings 40 are formed on and extend inwardly from side margins of the plate 39 parallel with and adj acent the inner faces of the side plates 11, 12, and curved slots 41 are formed in said wings. Screws 42 extend through the curved slots 41 and are seated in the inner faces of the side plates 11, 12. The plate 39 forms the front of a receptacle for clothespins in the lower portion of the housing, and said plate may be moved forward or tilted manually (when the door 17 is opened) for convenient access to said receptacle. Each of the doors 16, 17 preferably is made ofone piece of thin wood and is strengthened by a cleat 43 or 44 extending transversely of its inner face and secured thereto.

Rods 45, 46 are attached at their inner ends loosely to the shaft 24 and extend through the rear wall of the housing. Eyes are formed on the outer ends of the rods 45,

46 and a bar 47 is mounted in said eyes. Screw eyes 48 are loosely mounted on the bar 47 and engage in a suitable support not shown. By means of the rods, bar and screw eyes, a flexible connection is provided between the housing and its support.

I claim as my invention In combination with a support composed of two spaced members, a shaft carried by said members, a ratchet wheel carried by said shaft, a bearing composed of a plate and a boss with the boss extending through an opening provided therefor in one of said members, a collar extending loosely through said bearing and having its ends projecting beyond the end parts of said bearing, a bolt extended through said collar, a washer on each end of said bolt abutting the projecting ends of said collar, a pawl on the inner end of said bolt abutting said washer thereon, a thumb nut on the outer end of said bolt engaging said washer at the outer end of the bolt, and a nut on the inner end of the bolt abutting said innermost washer.

Signed by me at Des Moines, Iowa, this first day of June, 1906.

GEORGE P. KINKENNON.

Witnesses:

S. 0. SWEET, L. L. LEIBROOK. 

